1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for delivery of replacement units and return of the replaced units. More particularly, it relates to a method and apparatus for delivery of replacement units which comprise electronic components such as PROM's mounted on printed circuit boards to form modules, and for return of such modules.
Postal scales and the like are well known. Such scales determine the weight of items to be mailed and from this weight, together with information which may be input by an operator, determine the charges for mailing the item in accordance with rates stored in the scale. Typically, such scales are controlled by a microprocessor and rates for the USPS and/or other carriers such as UPS are stored in the processor memory. The operation of such postal scales is well known and need not be described further here for an understanding of the subject invention.
Typically, PROM's are used as the rate memory for such postal scales. PROM's offer several advantages for this purpose. They are non-volatile, which allows easy delivery of new rates to customers, and they are easily programmable so that new rate memories may be manufactured quickly in the event of a rate change. PROM's are also relatively expensive and reusable and it is a considerable savings to vendors of postal scales if they can obtain the return of the old replaced PROM's from their customers when rates are changed. Some vendors will impose a substantial charge on their customers who fail to return the PROM's while others, for marketing reasons, will absorb the cost of unreturned PROM's themselves.
With the proliferation of private courier type carriers and the expected increase in the frequency of rate changes, it is apparent that the costs of this problem can be expected to increase in the future.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a way whereby replacement units maybe delivered to a customer and replaced units returned to the vendor; in particular where such units are PROM modules used in postal scales or the like.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a method and apparatus which minimize the efforts of a customer while facilitating and encouraging return of the replaced units.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a method and apparatus whereby the replacement units may be delivered through the mails an the replaced units returned through the mails without need for the customer to address the replaced units before returning them.